I want to introduce you to a very special little girl! This is our precious daughter, whom we are in process to adopt! It is crazy to think that we didn't know of her existence a month ago... and then four days after an unexpected late-night phone call, she came home.

“our willingness to wait reveals the value we place on that which we are waiting for.”

— Charles Stanley Ross

O sweet girl, we have waited and prayed for you for so long. You were well worth the wait. My heart is so full. Our joy is great.

In our culture, we want instant gratification and answers. We want it, want it now and want it our way. But this isn't how God works. He loves us too much to reward our tantrums and foot-stompings.

As a loving father, he teaches his children to trust him. He teaches his children to have patience and to be thankful in all things. He asks his children to bring their worries to him. He shows his children that he is quick to comfort and support.

He teaches his children contentment—in both the asking and the answer.

In waiting, there is contentment. In hoping, there is still contentment. In infertility, there is contentment. In trusting God with your tender heart and your big dreams, there is rest and contentment.

I don't know what you're waiting and praying for in your life, but I want to encourage you to unfurl your white-knuckled grasp and place your heart's desire in the gentle and loving hands of God.

If I know one thing about God, it is that he is good. He is good and he wants what is best for you—sometimes this looks differently or comes at a different time than we might think is best. He is worthy of your trust and he knows even better than you what you need.

If you're interested in following along with the unfolding story, check out my personal Instagram (@andiejael) or my Insta-story on my photography instagram (@avisualanthology)!

Oh boy, this happy little chunk has a smile that will melt your heart and hair that... well, just look at it! He's the perfect embodiment of sophisticated charm. Here's to anthologizing the milestones of life!

In our digital culture, it's rare to get to see actual prints. Typically, images are captured, logged and saved on a USB or a mobile device. But here at A Visual Anthology, I am not just in the business of capturing your memories, but preserving them... safeguarding them from the ever-changing digital archiving methods. What was cutting edge technology 30 years ago? We call them blasts from the past. What will the the norm 30 years from now? I don't know the answer to that, but I do know that prints will never become obsolete. No matter the evolution that digital undergoes, your prints are safe from the tides of change. They are heirlooms.